Secrets of the unknown warrior

Manchester City's midfield dynamo James Milner supports his former club Leeds but is plotting their downfall today

Milner has never drunk alcohol: ‘I do what I must to get the best from myself’(Carl Recine)

THEY stand on display in his home, forlornly un-popped. “Yeah, they’re still
full. Sitting on the mantelpiece,” says James Milner, chuckling about
himself. Many modern footballers are teetotal but Milner, being Milner,
takes a facet of professionalism to another level. Not only for his career’s
sake does he avoid drink — aged 27, he has never had a drop. The
man-of-the-match champagne magnums accrued over the years may gather dust on
that mantelpiece indefinitely.

“When I broke through at 16, I wasn’t old enough to drink anyway and it’s just
a decision I made and have stuck with. If you’ve never had something, you
don’t miss it,” Milner says.

“It’s just myself, really. If there’s something I can do to get the best out
of myself, whether it’s not drinking, eating the right food or taking a
protein shake, I’ll do it.”